Conventionally, portable type X-ray analyzers have been used for the purpose of analyzing large samples or for the purpose of on-site analysis by a fluorescent X-ray analyzing method, which has an excitation source consisting of a radio isotope or an X-ray tube. Also, small X-ray analyzers such as a desktop type analyzers have been installed on vehicles wherein a sample is cut to a small enough size to be put in a sample chamber and subjected to element analysis on the vehicle.
In the conventional portable type fluorescent X-ray analyzer, it is necessary to visually align an X-ray emission port to a sample to be measured upon adjusting a relative position of a housing and a sample to be measured to specify a measuring point to which a fluorescent X-ray was irradiated. Due to this, it has been difficult to perform exact positional alignment because a point to be measured to which an X-ray is irradiated is hidden by the housing and can not be observed.
In particular, when an X-ray is irradiated onto a sample to be measured having a diameter of 10 mm or less using a collimator to restrict an X-ray light flux, positional alignment is almost impossible. The relative position of the housing and the sample to be measured are deviated by a slight amount to conduct measurements at a plurality of points and a film thickness/composition of the sample to be measured is detected, thus requiring great labor and time.
Meanwhile, in more recent years there has been an instrument in which an expensive fiver scope is attached to a housing wherein the housing mounted on a tripod is moved through a two-axis stage to effect alignment while observing the sample to be measured. There has, however, been a problem in that the entire system becomes large and heavy, thus sacrificing portability and becoming expensive.